Inspiration – Passionate about Life

 Inspiration – Passionate about Life

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Today’s quote comes from an anonymous person who said “It takes a strong man to swim against the current; any dead fish will float with it"

I had to smile when I read this and thought about what I am going to write today – I had this instant video in my head, with all these lifeless fish just floating along!  Smelly and unpleasant to say the least!  Oh the movies that my head produces – not all of them pleasant and many of them could very well turn into an absolute nightmare!

And nightmares are what a great number of business owners will have if the majority of the people that they employ are “dead fish” – you know the ones that I mean.  Yes, it’s those that come to work because they have no place else to go, they put in the time – just barely – they don’t put in more effort, than the bare minimum that it takes to allow life to be sustainable.  They don’t work a second more than they are required to and God forbid that they should ever be passionate or even care about what it is that they do!

For me, working with people like this is, excruciatingly painful.  They are the ones that you sometimes want to shake, just to see if they are actually still alive!  

I mean, exactly what is the point?  Why do anything at all if it’s not worth going the whole hog, and giving your best effort?  Why attempt anything as if you can’t look at it, once the job is done, with pride or even with understanding, because of the lesson learnt? It’s just this complete indifference that gets me every time.

I understand that there are a great number of people out there who are fearful of making a mistake, scared of what people may say or think about them.  I could not live like that either – in constant fear - that would be a total waste of effort and emotion too for that matter.  Can you imagine living life, constantly looking over your shoulder to see if anyone is watching you – constantly straining to hear what people are saying, because they may be saying something about you!  Oh good God no!  That would be just too weird for words.

For me, life is about the living of it, of every moment!  Taking it in both hands, enjoying it, savouring it, pushing it, tasting it, loving it!

It’s about trying new things, even failing at them – as long as you learn the lesson.  

It’s about pushing the boundaries, to see how far you can go.

It’s about testing my own limits.  It’s about learning new things. It’s about laughter and yes even tears, it’s about life!

Floating about like a dead fish is not for me – it’s, well, it’s “for dead fish”!

Give me a staff member with a bit of life in them any day – they may test my patience (what little I have), they may make me mad and drive me crazy, but they will always pleasantly surprise me too.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or www.viljoenconsulting.co.za 

HR 101 – What to do When . . . You Are A South African Working In A Foreign Owned Company – Part 1

 HR 101 – What to do When . . . You Are A South African Working In A Foreign Owned Company – Part 1

By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd 

Please note that this pertains to South African Labour and Best Practice requirements.

As you probably know, an Embassy is, according to international law, considered to be on foreign soil.  Therefore if you are a South African working in an Embassy you would be governed by the Labour laws of that particular country. 

This, however, does not apply to companies or branches of companies that are based in South Africa.

Here’s the story.

Mike is the Managing Director of a Foreign owned company in South Africa, whose Head Office is in the USA.

The USA Head Office officials decide that they do not like Mike’s management skills and he is dismissed without any kind of warning.  Mike refers his dismissal to the Bargaining Council.

The USA Head Office officials retaliate by stating that the Council has no jurisdiction because it was the Head Office in the USA, who dismissed Mike and not the officials that reside in South Africa.

The arbitrators are called in and it is decided that the Bargaining Council do have jurisdiction because of (but not limited to) the following issues.

• Although the Company’s Head Office was in the USA, Mike was employed in the South African branch.

• The employer had to pay Mike’s legal costs.

Mike won his case, since the dismissal procedures, which apply to South Africa, were not complied with.

Next week we will have a look at South Africans working in a Foreign country.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za 

Early Warning - The Stolen GPS

Early Warning - The Stolen GPS

By Nikki Viljoen – N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd 

I received this story from my friend and colleague Toni Guerrero, who writes:

“A couple of weeks ago a friend told me that someone she knew had their car broken into while they were at a football game.  Their car was parked on the green which was adjacent to the football stadium and specially allotted to football fans.  Things stolen from the car included a garage door remote control, some money and a GPS which had been prominently mounted on the dashboard.

When the victims got home, they found their house had been ransacked and just about everything worth anything had been stolen.

The thieves had used the GPS to guide them to the house.  They then used that garage remote control to open the garage door and gain entry to the house.  The thieves knew that the owners were at the football game, they knew what time the game was scheduled to finish and so they knew how much time they had to clean out the house.  It would appear that they had brought a truck to empty the house of its contents.

Something to consider if you have a GPS – don’t put your home address in it.  Put a nearby address (like a store or gas station) so that you can still find your way home if you need to, but no one else would know where you live if your GPS were stolen.”

That sounds like sound advice to me.  One of the things that I have realized during my time on this planet is the fact that everything good thing that comes into our lives has a “dark side” and people who are that way inclined will always find a way to use that to their own advantage.  This is just one example of that.

So take care, beware, be aware and stay safe.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za 

Networking 101 Recognizing the Opportunities

 Networking 101 Recognizing the Opportunities

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Dr Renate Volpe, in her nugget cards entitled “Networking Tips” says:

“Don’t expect colleagues with similar credentials and expertise to be referral sources.”

This one always makes me smile!  Don’t get me wrong, Renate is spot on the money, it’s the insecurities of the human race that makes me smile!

I’ve said this so many times, I feel like I should actually make a recording – there is enough opportunity and work out there for all of us to get more than we could possibly handle!

So what we should be doing is referring colleagues with similar credentials and expertise.  

I can hear the buzzing – why?  Well firstly, why not?  Secondly, because by doing this you start and nurture a relationship with them, and then when they get too busy to cope with their workload, (presuming of course that you are not too busy yourself), instead of just getting new staff in to do the work that they have to train and then keep after the project is finished, the two of you could join forces in a joint venture or strategic alliance and do the work together!  For me, it’s a no brainer!

 

I honestly cannot understand what this ”jealously guarding your clients, potential clients or any rumour of any kind of work that may be available in your area of expertise,” is all about.  When you behave like this you are so focused on keeping everyone at bay, that you end up losing your clients and your potential clients too, because you have kept them at bay too! 

Seriously, people, there is more than enough to go around and then some – you just need to recognise the opportunity and then do something about it!

So go on, share your information, share your resources and refer as many people as you can – what will happen is that people will start referring you and before you know it, you will be so busy you won’t know what to do with yourself.

The more you give, the more you will get!

 

For more information on Renate, please visit her website at http://www.drrenatevolpe.co.za 

Nikki Viljoen is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist and she can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za 

Business Tips – Documentation and SARS

 Business Tips – Documentation and SARS

By Nikki Viljoen – N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd  

Please note that this pertains to South  African SARS (South African Revenue Services)  and best practice requirements.

On a daily basis I meet with people who are either starting their own businesses or alternatively there are those who have been in business for many years now – irrespective of where they are in this particular journey called life, they more often than not, have no clue about the legal requirements around the retention of their business documents.

The harsh reality is that not only is there a legal requirement in terms of what documents must be kept there are also requirements on how long these documents must be kept and they are not all just about the financial records either.  Some need to be kept for only a couple of years, others for up to 5 or 7 or even 15 or so years and others that have to be retained “indefinitely”.

Add to all of this the digital and electronic age and although in many ways this simplifies life there are also instances where this will complicate things.

Take for example the tax records . . . it has been promulgated into law that the tax records and financial documentation pertaining to these records can be stored in their electronic form provided that they are stored electronically in a physical location in South Africa.  Furthermore, if the taxpayer wishes to store and maintain their accounting or invoicing records using “the cloud” technology or servers outside of South African borders, they will need to obtain written approval from a Senior SARS officiator.

Apparently though, obtaining authority to do this is not an easy achievement either, as the following requirements have to be met.  These are (but not limited to):-

- You have to be able to easily access these records here in SA.

- Irrespective of the location of these servers, this should not affect access to the records.

- It is a requirement that the country where the servers are hosted has to have an international tax agreement with South Africa for reciprocal tax assistance.

- That the taxpayer in South Africa has to be able to produce an acceptable electronic form of the record – ideally it should look exactly like its paper hardcopy equivalent and

- The storage capabilities must meet all storage requirements.

Additional challenges that may be encountered are in the form of system description development should the software or electronic platform not be commonly used and recognized in South Africa, so beware of all the “off the shelf” products that may have been developed in India or the USA as they may carry ‘hidden’ costs.

Be sure to have properly researched what you purchase to ensure that SARS requirements are always met – it will be cheaper and less stressful for you in the long run.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za 

Inspiration – Strengths & Weaknesses

 Inspiration –  Strengths & Weaknesses

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd 

Johann Wolfgang Van Goethe says “By nature, we have no defect that could not become a strength, no strength that could become a defect.”

Wow!  Apart from telling us exactly how it is, it certainly gives me encouragement as well.

Knowing that if I want to change or improve one of my weaknesses (and let’s face it we all have several), it’s great, but to know that I can improve one of my weaknesses to such an extent that it becomes a strength – now that’s a great incentive and quite frankly a task of mammoth proportions.

I am one of those people who would rather work on my strengths, to make them that much more effective and I am all for “outsourcing” my weaknesses to someone else.  You see my weaknesses are someone else’s strengths so to me it makes perfectly logical sense to let someone else deal with those.

I continue, however, to have this little niggling voice (you know the one that sits on your shoulder and whispers all sorts of things in your ear) that keeps telling me that although I am “outsourcing” my weakness, I am also giving up my power!

Perhaps on some level that is true, but I am also very aware of the fact that “outsourcing” works for me, as it enables me to get on with what I love to do and what I am good at.  It certainly reduces my stress levels (and probably my blood pressure too) as I don’t have to struggle with issues that I am not comfortable with or that I don’t fully understand . . .  but perhaps, one day when I am not busy with something else and the mood takes me, I will work on those particular defects and weaknesses.  Yeah right!

What I really want to do is chat about the second part of Van Goethe’s statement – the one that goes “no strength that could become a weakness”.  Now, this is the bit that really concerns me – in fact, it damn near terrifies me!

I think that many of us, particularly those of us who own our own small little businesses and who consistently work long hours as we attempt to make a decent living and perhaps even a difference – we are in particular danger of getting to the point where it is our very strength that defeats us!

Oh, I can see all the blank looks on the faces of people who have no clue about what it is that I am talking about.

This is directed at all of us who work, we say for our families, but to such an extent and with such focus that we lose sight of those that we love, so much so that we actually lose them.  The result is that our flourishing business is achieved at the cost of our wives, or husbands and our children and loved ones.

It is directed at all of us who bring about our own ill health because we refuse to take time out to rest and rejuvenate.

It is directed at those of us who are so focused on what we do and what we are good at, that it takes over our lives and devours us and we forget to live and exist merely to be a slave to that particular strength.

So I guess, the point of all of this is to take note of and be aware of the fact that our weaknesses can become our saving grace and our strengths could very well be the reason for our demise.

Be careful – very careful about which one you choose to pay the most attention to.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

HR 101 – What to do When . . . Your Staff Member Steals From You

 HR 101 – What to do When . . . Your Staff Member Steals From You

By Nikki Viljoen – N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd 

Please note that this pertains to South African Labour Relations, the Basic Conditions of Employment Act and Best Practice requirements.

Did you know that there are certain circumstances when you can actually get remuneration from an employee’s pension payout when they steal from you?  I must admit that until I did the research, I didn’t know that!  Here’s the story.

Mike owns a retail store in a busy mall and George is one of his salespersons.  Mike has been noticing that stock is slowly but surely going missing and his level of shrinkage is growing month by month.  Mike implements added procedures such as daily stock counts in an effort to sort the problem out.  As luck would have it, Mike catches George red-handed (so to speak) as Mike watches, he sees George hide an expensive tie inside of his shirt and then walk out of the door to be met by someone down the corridor.  Mike follows at a discreet distance and watches as George removes the tie from his shirt and hands it to the other fellow.  As the fellow hands George money, Mike makes his presence known and catches George before he can run.

George is embarrassed at being caught and admits to having been stealing for a long time. Under Mike’s watchful eye, George writes out the incident report about “how” he stole the tie.  Mike calls in the police and again insists that George make a statement about what he has stolen and George admits to stealing stock to the value of around R20 000 – this is documented.  Once the statement has been written, signed and witnessed, Mike gets a certified copy and is given a case number.  

Mike then holds a disciplinary in “Absentia” (remember George is locked up), George is found guilty of theft and dishonesty and he is dismissed.  Although George in this instance is not entitled to notice pay, he is still entitled to any leave pay that may be owing to him and also there is his pension fund. Mike pays all the outstanding leave pay and monthly pay (up to and including the last day that George worked for the month) into George’s account and notifies the Pension Fund administrators that George is no longer employed by the company and that they should calculate his pension payout.

Mike also advises the Pension Fund Administrators that George has been dishonest and that he has admitted to the theft and gives them a copy of the admission of guilt.  The Pension Fund Administrators are obliged to give Mike R20 000 out of George’s pension payout, prior to them paying the balance out to George.

Mike has followed the correct procedures.

The law you see is actually quite fair as long as the correct procedures are followed.

Be aware though that had Mike not “driven the process” himself, the Administrators would not have just automatically paid him out, out of George’s pension payout – Mike had to advise them that this is what he was entitled to and give them the documentary evidence that they required.

Please make sure though that you have a signed copy of admission of guilt from the employee, stating that they have been dishonest, or that they have stolen, or that they have committed fraud or that the loss experienced by the company was a direct result of their “misconduct”.  Make sure that you get some sort of value on what has been “lost” or that there is a judgment against them for the loss that you have incurred.

Don’t try and do this if the charge against the employee is merely one of “negligence” – there has to be an actual loss and the loss has to be a result of dishonesty and oh yes, an unsigned e-mail or an “SMS” is not sufficient proof.  Make sure that you get the errant employee’s signature on the document and make sure that they have admitted to the theft/fraud.  This will ensure that their “intent” was clear and that you then get your money back.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za 

Early Warning - Stolen Identity.

 Early Warning - Stolen Identity.

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd 

Imagine trying to prove who you are, when your identity has been stolen by someone else.

Ok, let’s put it into perspective.  You have a bank account and in that bank account, you have several hundreds of thousands of rands.  The bank has decided that they have to “freeze” your account because you are not “FICA” compliant and now you have to prove who you are all over again.  The problem is though, someone has stolen your identity and the identity number that you have, have always had and should always have, now belongs to someone else, so the bank won’t allow you access to your own funds, you cannot open a new bank account – in fact, your driver's license is also affected and you cannot get a new passport either.  Gives everything a completely different slant now, doesn’t it?

A recent report in the newspaper tells of a disabled woman who is living on handouts because her identity has been stolen and she cannot access the disability grant that she is entitled to because of this.

In this instance, this poor woman, has no income and because of her disability is not able to work to provide herself with an income and whilst she is destitute, hungry and cold, someone else is cashing in on her grants.  The authorities appear to know all about it, but have done nothing – a case of fraud has been opened, but nothing has happened and she in the meantime has lost her right to a dignified life.

So here’s the thing, don’t give your identity number to just anyone, in fact, don’t give out any of your details to just anyone.  If you call a bank or somewhere where they need to identify who you are, then that is fine – you have made the call to the relevant institution – but if someone calls you, telling you that they are from the bank or the insurance institution or MTN or Vodacom or Cell C or whoever, you are not obliged to give them any information at all – not over the phone and not when you have not made the call.

Never, ever give your pin number out to anyone – not even a bank official, if you are having a problem give them everything that they need until it is time to enter the pin number – this you must do whilst they have their backs turned to you.

Never ever give anyone your credit card and/or ID details online unless it is a secure site.  A secure site will always have a little “lock” in the corner of the screen.  The little lock in the corner is put there by the credit card merchant only.

Take care of your identity and report anything that may be suspicious.  All of the banks have a “fraud division”.  Always get a reference number when making a complaint so that you can follow it up.

Be careful out there people, the world is a dangerous place!

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za 

Networking 101 - Find What is Unique to You

 Networking  101 - Find What is Unique to You

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Dr Renate Volpe, in her nugget cards entitled “Networking Tips” says:

“Brand your uniqueness:  Remember; 45% of what you do, others do better than you, 45% of what you do, others do as well as you, 10% of what you do is unique to you.  Focus on the 10% that is unique to you!”

Oh, man is Renate ever spot on the money with this one! So many times I have been in a networking environment where there have been in excess of 100 people and they all look just the same and many of them are in exactly the same field doing pretty much the same thing. I have looked around in absolute confusion (I have never been very good and names or faces for that matter), then when I get to the point that I follow up and meet with them, I just make sure that I am at the meeting well in advance and hope to hell that they recognise me! Not ideal I know, but it works for me!

Remember the 70’s (for those of you who are old enough to do so), I mean there was such an explosion of new acts and new musicians entering the arena that the only way that they could actually be remembered (or even make any kind of splash for that matter) was to dress up – David Bowie with his unique hairstyle and his infamous ‘Bowie Dot’ in the middle of his forehead, or what about Leo Sayer who used to dress up as a clown and don’t forget Alice Cooper (it wasn’t enough that he had a girl’s name) and his band Kiss who had the most bizarre images painted in black and white on their faces and used to bite the heads off live chickens on stage (talk about making an entrance!) and smash their guitars into a million pieces, all on stage!

Don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating for one minute that you purchase your local Fancy Dress store, in order to have a sufficient number of costumes on hand.

What I am saying is that branding is a must! You have to show people that unique side of you – and we all have it and we need to flaunt it.

I, for example, am a t-shirt and jeans kind of girl. I don’t look like a typical auditor and I really don’t think like a typical auditor (I could think of nothing more boring – urgh!), that is part of who I am and that is something that sticks in the minds of many of the people who meet me at networking events. Now I am not suggesting that you all rush out and buy up all the jeans and t-shirts in the city – don’t do that! What I am saying, is that often who you are as a person, is what is most unique about you – so don’t try and re-invent the wheel.

Be yourself, work on who you are and what you value most about yourself – expand on that, and you will probably find that that, is the most powerful and yet most inexpensive tool that you have. With very little effort and a great deal of value, you will have branded your most unique self.

For more information on Renate, please visit her website at http://www.drrenatevolpe.co.za 

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za 

Business Tips – Setting Goals

 Business Tips – Setting Goals

By Nikki Viljoen – N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd  

I am sure that you have all heard the old adage that “if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it”!  Although many business owners faithfully quote this saying almost on a daily basis, the sad reality is that few actually use it themselves.

The reality is that few actually set goals for themselves – goals that they can actually leverage off for their own personal successes. Goals that are specific, that can be measured – that have meaning and make perfectly logical sense.  Goals that motivate and excite them, that make them jump out of bed in the morning, ready and rearing to face the day.

Many business owners strategize for the business, for the staff, for the clients, for the suppliers  . . .  but fail to develop strategies for themselves. 

So the challenge today is for you to develop a strategy for yourself, then work out your plan.  It might be something as simple as getting yourself to more “self-development” type workshops or as complicated as working a four day week, and then a three day week and then a two day week and then a four hour week.

Whatever it is, write it down.  Set actions with deadlines and then focus on achieving your goal.

You know that it is something that you should do, you know it is something that you want to do and most importantly, you know it is something that you can do!

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za 

Inspiration – Taking Responsibility for Our Failure

 Inspiration –  Taking Responsibility for Our Failure

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd 

Oh dear – looks like I got the soapbox out again.  Clearly, the whole thing on “Failure” has got me in a bit of a spin!

It seems to me that most people think of success or failure as either good or bad luck – that’s just so confusing. Surely your success is based on what you did that was right or what worked and your failure is based on what you did wrong or what didn’t work? 

I mean think about it for a moment – when someone succeeds at something, they celebrate all that went before it, the hard work, the making of the right decisions, the planning and precision, the long hours and the sleepless nights.  So how then, when there is failure does it become everyone else’s fault?

How could it possibly be the fault of the Rand being too low, or economics or politics or the taxman or the World Cup?  That’s just bizarre!  The fact of the matter is that very few people want to take responsibility for their own actions.  Very few people want to look at themselves and then admit that perhaps it was their very own actions (or non-actions for that matter) that have caused their downfall.  Very few people are prepared to accept that what they have done is their own fault.

Now here’s the problem – if you don’t admit to failure being your own fault, how on earth will you be able to correct whatever it is that you did wrong so that you don’t do it again?  How on earth will you learn from your mistakes and go on to grow as an individual?  How on earth will you ever learn to take responsibility for your actions or when you fail to act?

Part of your goals should be ensuring that you give and receive accolades when they are due and not only for others but for yourself as well. We are all very quick to grab the limelight when we have done something right but seldom that quick when we have done something wrong.  Part of your goals should be being able to look at a situation that has gone wrong and take responsibility, learn from the mistake, make adjustments and move on.

Part of becoming the best person that you can be is to be able to dig deep, admit to what has happened, I promise you, you will feel all the better for it.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

HR 101 – What Needs To Be On A Medical Certificate

 HR 101 – What Needs To Be On A Medical Certificate

By Nikki Viljoen – N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd 

Please note that this pertains to South African Labour Relations, The Basic Conditions of Employment Act and Best Practice requirements.

Let’s bring out the protagonists.

Mike owns a factory and George is one of his workers – George calls in sick on a regular basis and when he comes back to work, he does bring a doctors certificate with him.  

When George has taken sick leave for the 50th day in the same year, Mike starts getting suspicious because George never “looks” sick when he is at work.  Mike starts his investigation by looking at the doctor’s certificates that have been given to him.

In terms of the BCEA (Basic Conditions of Employment Act) a doctor’s certificate must be signed and issued by a “registered Medical Practitioner”.  This means that it has to be someone who is “certified” to diagnose and treat patients and who is “registered” with a professional council that has been established by an Act of Parliament.

Here is the other information that must be on the medical certificate.

• The name, address, qualification and practice or registration number of the practitioner (please note that Mike is entitled to check that this information is correct).

• The name of the employee.

• The date and time that the employee was examined.

• If the doctor actually saw the employee and diagnosed the illness at the time of examination, this should be stipulated on the certificate.  If the doctor did not examine the employee but has issued the certificate based on what the employee has told them, this should also be stipulated on the certificate.

• A description of the illness.  It must be noted here however that if the employee is not prepared to give consent for the illness to be stipulated on the certificate, then the Medical Practioner is entitled to document something along the lines of “my opinion, based on my examination of George Dladla is that he is unfit to work.”

• The Medical Practitioner should also state whether the employee is totally “unfit to work” or if the employee is “able to perform less strenuous duties” in their working environment.

• The exact period that the patient has been booked off for (this should indicate exactly which date the employee must return to work – so, not George is booked off sick for a week, but rather George “will return to work on Monday 21st February 2022.)

• The date that the Medical Practioner has issued the Medical Certificate.

• The Medical Certificate must be signed by the Registered Medical Practioner.

In this particular instance, the Certificates that George was brought to Mike were correct and Mike now has to decide whether he wants to dismiss George due to ill health.  How Mike deals with this situation is another story for another day.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za 

Early Warning - Keeping Your Business and Its Information Safe

 Early Warning - Keeping Your Business and Its Information Safe

By Nikki Viljoen – N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd 

I realize that for some this may be a bit like “closing the stable door after the horse has bolted” since the holidays are over (mostly for another year).  That said, I don’t believe that keeping your business safe should only be done during the times that you are away on holiday.  Keeping your business safe and keeping the information and/or data pertaining and belonging to your business needs to be kept safe all the time.

Closing the doors to your business without making sure that you have all the arrangements made to keep your information (be it physical or electronic) safe and ensure that your business is sufficiently secure is relevant whether you are going home for the evening, or the weekend, or indeed a holiday.  We all know that the reality of the situation is that it is no longer safe just to close and lock the doors and be on our way.  Ongoing problems such as building fires and theft need to be managed, even whilst we are not ‘at the office’.

I would suggest that a checklist of things that should be done be implemented to ensure that everything is covered.  Some of the issues that need to be looked at are (but are not limited to):

• It is a good idea to make sure that your important documentation is stored in a fireproof safe or cabinet.

• Electronic information should be properly backed up with copies of everything stored off-site or in cyberspace somewhere – don’t forget to randomly test the information to make sure that it is not corrupt, especially if you are using disks and/or flash drives. Also please think about what you are doing – don’t leave your backup disks lying next to the computer and/or the external hard drive next to the computer.  If it is the hardware that thieves are after your external hard drive is just as important as the computer and if it is your information that they are after – well leaving your backups where they are easily accessible is just not clever!

• If the ‘backups’ of your electronic data is outsourced to someone, make sure that they are actually doing the backups – insist on a report of some sort (every time that they do the backup) that evidence that a backup has in fact taken place.

• Ensure that the correct data is being backed-up – having your photo’s safe and sound is great, but having all of your business information and all of your business transactions safe is even better!

• All the usernames and passwords pertaining to your IT department should be kept on record, somewhere safe (irrespective of whether or not they already have this information on record or not) in case of an emergency.  It is of the utmost importance that the business owner and at the very least, their assistants have this information.  This should include (but not be limited to) passwords and user names for all system administrator accounts, websites, applications, intranet sites and business solutions etc.

• Get the employees to assist you – have a good walk around and have a look at potentially weak and dangerous areas, especially those that are cluttered.  Look for wall plugs (or even plugs on extension cords) that are overloaded, or emergency exits and fire exits that are blocked.  Don’t ignore things like faulty lights (they could mean an electrical fault that could cause a fire) or broken windows.  Test alarms (in fact alarms should be tested on a regular, irregular basis and a full report should be submitted from your service provider on a monthly basis so that you can see if alarms are set when they are supposed to be etc) and electric fences to ensure that they are in good working condition.  This would also obviously apply to those who have things like smoke detectors and smoke alarms and the like.

• Access to your premises both after hours as well as when you are away should also be monitored, especially if you have a skeleton staff on duty or no staff at all.  People floating about, when there shouldn’t be anyone about at all could be a potential problem.

• Make sure that security personnel know exactly who is allowed access and who isn’t.  Make sure that your security personnel check the perimeter on a regular, irregular basis and that they report on everything that is both normal and out of the norm.  Incident logs are necessary, especially after hours or when the company is closed for the holidays.

• Keys, passwords and access cards should be monitored and audited on a regular basis.  In fact, as part of your “exit interview” the return of keys, changing of passwords, return of access cards, return of cell phone, cars, computers and everything else that is usually given to staff (and don’t forget the petrol cards and even company credit cards) should be documented and signed for.  

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za 

Networking 101 - Making Contact Quickly

 Networking 101 - Making Contact Quickly

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Dr Renate Volpe, in her nugget cards entitled “Networking Tips” says:

“Make contact within three days of meeting people”.

Oh, dear!  This is one that I fall down on quite badly sometimes!  Well, maybe not hey – you see I try and send everyone an e-mail as soon after I have met them as is humanly possible.  The e-mail tells them a little more about who I am and what it is that I do and also gives them my Business Profile.  

Then here comes the challenge, for me at any rate, contacting those people again telephonically to set up individual meetings!  It could take a week or even more to get hold of that person again and set up a meeting with them.  Those that get hold of me (and I must admit that they are very far and few between) obviously then get an appointment before the rest, but that’s just first come first serve.

Remember it’s in your own best interest to get hold of the person that you met as soon as possible and make an appointment to see them, sit down and have a one on one with them – it increases your “circle of influence” and in so doing it also increases your “value add” and more importantly – it also more often than not, brings you work – whether it’s the person themselves who can give you work or whether it is someone that they know who needs your services or products – it’s all work and that is the bottom line!

For more information on Renate, please visit her website at http://www.drrenatevolpe.co.za

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za 

Business Tips – From Employee to Entrepreneur – Part 9

 Business Tips – From Employee to Entrepreneur – Part 9

By Nikki Viljoen – N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd 

Please note that this pertains to South African Legislation and Best Practice requirements.

So far we have looked at:-

1. The difference between being an employee and an employer;

2. Your Purpose:

3. The People around you and

4. Your Personal Footprint.

5. Knowledge & what you do with it

6. The Generosity of your Spirit 

7. The Role of Technology in your Business

8. Self Confidence

9. Creativity

10. Focus

11. Vision

12. Result

13. Networking

14. Leadership

15. Management

16. Problem Solving

17. Being Innovative

18. Teamwork

19. Strategy

20. Branding

21. Marketing

22. Profit and Passion

Today we will explore the last three in this series.

1. Scalability

Contrary to popular belief in many quarters, there is a huge difference between being a small business owner and being self-employed.  Make no mistake, whilst it is incredibly important to keep your finger on the pulse of your business and be aware of exactly what is happening in every aspect of it, the reality is if your business is not fully defined as a company and if it is still reliant on you for its very survival, well then you are self-employed. There is no right or wrong for either, it is purely dependent on the way the company (or you) operate.

It is important, however, that when you plan for the future that you understand the difference between the two (being self-employed and owning a company that is).  

2. Leverage

At some point in time, most business owners need funding.  Make sure that your business plan remains current as well as accurate and that you have made allowances for the interest that needs to be paid back (when you are calculating what you need and then what you can afford to pay back as well).

And finally . . . 

3. Legacy

Like it or not, we all leave a footprint of one sort or another on this planet.  We are all responsible, one way or another, for the consequences of our thoughts and actions.

The decisions that you have made, or not, have impacted our planet, your community, your colleagues, your friends, your family and more importantly on yourselves.

What will be you remembered for when you are gone?

Of course, we all need to make money to improve our lives and the lives of our families, but we also need to make a difference and leave the world a richer place for our having been here.

. . . and oh!  Don’t forget to always have fun!

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za 

<<

Part 1

http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za/2012/02/business-tips-from-employee-to-entrepreneur-part-1/

Part 2

http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za/2012/03/business-tips-from-employee-to-entrepreneur-part-2/

Part 3

http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za/2012/05/business-tips-from-employee-to-entrepreneur-part-3/

Part 4

http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za/2012/11/business-tips-from-employee-to-entrepreneur-part-4/

Part 5

http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za/2012/11/business-tips-from-employee-to-entrepreneur-part-5/

Part 6

http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za/2013/01/business-tips-from-employee-to-entrepreneur-part-6/

Part 7

http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za/2013/02/business-tips-from-employee-to-entrepreneur-part-7/

Part 8

http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za/2013/03/business-tips-from-employee-to-entrepreneur-part-8/

Inspiration – Taking Some Risk

 Inspiration – Taking Some Risk

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd 

Ask anyone about how they would prefer their lives to be and chances are that they will tell you that they would like to go through life being healthy, wealthy and happy.

Well, folks – here is a splash of reality – if you sit quietly in a little corner, minding your own business and not doing anything – nothing will happen.  You will not grow as an individual and you will not grow your business (presuming of course that you even have one).  In fact, the bottom line is that if you don’t get out there and do something, nothing will happen.

One of the identifiable attributes of an entrepreneur is that they are willing to take risks.  Now contrary to popular belief, that does not necessarily mean that they would stand in front of an oncoming train.  It does not mean that they are necessarily reckless or that they would put the lives of their families and indeed, their own lives at risk.  What it does mean though is that they will usually take calculated risks.

Although at first glance, it often seems that they are completely out of control, the fact of the matter is that usually, they are exactly in control.

You see, most entrepreneurs are very aware of the fact that life is not simple, that looking through a pair of rose coloured glasses is not going to give them the reality of what life is all about.  They know that life and indeed business can be really, really hard – so hard in fact that it hurts.

True entrepreneurs, who know all of these things also know that in order for them to succeed, they will have to be willing to accept the pain that will come from stepping out of their comfort zone.  They know the secret and I am going to share that particular secret with you.

You see by being willing to endure a little bit of toughness and discomfort in the short term, they will usually make their lives that much easier in the long term.

Have a look around you – really look.  All the people who are crying and moaning and groaning about how tough it is out there are usually the ones who wallow in their tough lives.  They are scared of moving forward and doing things a little bit differently, they are scared to go backwards because, well it was tough there too and they are scared to stay exactly where they are because it’s so tough there.  So all they can do is moan and whine about how tough it is and how unfair life is – is it any wonder?

On the other hand, show me a successful person and you will see someone who has endured the pain, the hurt and the often sleepless nights.  They did something though, they moved forward.  They took the calculated risks, they sucked up the tough times and they came out the other end, not only successful but better individuals for it.

It didn’t matter how people laughed at them, or how they were criticized by friends and family, they had a dream and they were committed to their dream and they stuck with it.

It always boils down to attitude in the end – if your attitude and your mindset is right, you will ‘swim’, but if your attitude stinks – you sink!

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Early Warning – Where are your Employee Deductions?

 Early Warning – Where are your Employee Deductions?

By Nikki Viljoen – N. Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd 

Please note that this pertains to South African Tax, Department of Labour and Best Practice requirements.

Times are tough – I get that, but stealing the money that you have deducted from your employees is just not on!

Funds that should be paid across to the Pension Fund or to SARS (South African Revenue Services) or even to the UIF (Unemployment Insurance Fund) and that are then misappropriated by the employer, can and do have serious implications for the employee.

The problem then is that if the company becomes insolvent the funds that should have been paid over cannot (or at best become extremely difficult) be collected or at best become extremely difficult to collect, especially if they were destined for the Pension Fund.  This is because retirement type funds are not classified as “secured creditors” but rather as “preferred ones”.  Payments that were destined to go to SARS are a bit easier to collect, but the bottom line is that if there is no money, then there just is no money and having to wait for years to get that money back in, doesn’t help you one iota, if you are retrenched and unemployed right now without UIF to fall back on.

The bottom line is that the Trustees and Administrators of these funds need to take action the moment payment is not received rather than wait until such time as the company is declared insolvent.

There is also something that you as an employee can do and that is to check on a regular basis that your contributions have been paid over to the relevant body and thereby ensure your future.

Be proactive and make sure that everything has been paid over.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za 

Networking 101 - Quality before Quantity

 Networking 101 - Quality before Quantity

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd  

Dr Renate Volpe, in her nugget cards entitled “Networking Tips” says:

“Making two or three good contacts at an event is good enough.  You don’t have to “work” the whole room”.

Now she tells me!  This is one of the biggest mistakes that I made when I first went to Networking events and meetings.  In my enthusiasm, I wanted to talk to everybody and ran around frenetically trying to get every person’s card and then afterwards trying desperately to get an appointment with someone!  That was really hard work and in many ways very soul-destroying too.

You see many people don’t understand the value of networking and so they couldn’t see the connection or synergies that “could have been” and the result of that of course was that they couldn’t see why there was a need to meet with me in the first place, let alone discuss ways in which we could help one another.  That, for me, was and still is, very difficult to understand.

Anyway, the bottom line is that I was spending a huge amount of time and energy on people who could not see the value of what I was doing – so quite frankly – why bother!

Nowadays, even if I only make one contact, that for me is good enough.  That one person, understanding what networking is all about and the value that I not only get from that person, but the value that I can give to that person, is worth far more to me in time, effort and good referrals than 100 people who cannot see the value and have no interest in what I am doing.

So be selective, get in touch with “like-minded people” – don’t waste your time and energy on those who cannot or will not see!

For more information on Renate, please visit her website at http://www.drrenatevolpe.co.za  

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za 

Business Tips – From Employee to Entrepreneur – Part 8

 Business Tips – From Employee to Entrepreneur – Part 8

By Nikki Viljoen – N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd 

Please note that this pertains to South African Legislation and Best Practice requirements.

So far we have looked at:-

1. The difference between being an employee and an employer;

2. Your Purpose:

3. The People around you and

4. Your Personal Footprint.

5. Knowledge & what you do with it

6. The Generosity of your Spirit 

7. The Role of Technology in your Business

8. Self Confidence

9. Creativity

10. Focus

11. Vision

12. Result

13. Networking

14. Leadership

15. Management

16. Problem Solving

17. Being Innovative

18. Teamwork

19. Strategy

Believe it or not, there are a whole lot more – today we will explore a few more.

1. Branding

We all know just how important it is to brand ourselves.  Think about it for a moment, even the huge big brands like Coca Cola continue to spend millions on advertising, just to ensure that their branding remains forefront in the minds of the general populace.  Even the famous “no name brands” are . . .  well brands in themselves – they brand the Pick ‘n Pay’s and the Checkers, as the in-house cheaper, but “just as good quality” products.

The message is therefore very clear – if you don’t brand yourself, you are quite possibly branding someone else and you are most definitely sending prospective clients elsewhere.  So get yourself and your company properly branded before you start your marketing campaigns.

2. Marketing

Marketing is about getting your message out there – the “who you are” and the “what you sell”, be that product or service.  It makes logical sense then that who you are and what you sell will only affect the people that “hear” about you or travel as far as your message goes.  Pretty much like you may very well be known by everybody at your child’s nursery school if you move to another province no one at the new nursery school will know you at all.  In order for your marketing to be successful, it has to reach everyone in your target market.

3. Profit and Passion

Unless you are a well-heeled (or married to a well-heeled) philanthropist, the fact of the matter is that you will need to make a living and in order to make a living you will need to make a profit.  Yes, I know that “doing what you love” means that it doesn’t feel like work, but that’s the beauty of doing what you love and charging for it – you will get out as much as you put in!  Okay, you might not get it out straight away, but you will reap the rewards at some point.  My workshop that was written in 2003, has just brought in a huge lump sum and I mean huge – I wish you could see the look of pure glee on my face right now.  Actually, if the truth is told, it is exactly that passion that you need in order to put the kind of effort in that will determine the kind of rewards that you will eventually get out.

If you’re doing it for free, you are not a business person but rather a philanthropist, if you are doing it for a fee then you are a business person – the challenge here of course is that you need to decide just who you are.

Next time we will continue to look at some of the other issues that you will need or be aware of to become a successful Entrepreneur.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za 

<<

Part 1

http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za/2012/02/business-tips-from-employee-to-entrepreneur-part-1/

Part 2

http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za/2012/03/business-tips-from-employee-to-entrepreneur-part-2/

Part 3

http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za/2012/05/business-tips-from-employee-to-entrepreneur-part-3/

Part 4

http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za/2012/11/business-tips-from-employee-to-entrepreneur-part-4/

Part 5

http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za/2012/11/business-tips-from-employee-to-entrepreneur-part-5/

Part 7

http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za/2013/02/business-tips-from-employee-to-entrepreneur-part-7/

>>

Part 9

http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za/2013/04/business-tips-from-employee-to-entrepreneur-part-9/